Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League, announced Wednesday that Mike Williamson (Leduc, Alta.), head coach of the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen, will be the head coach of Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team for the 2011 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, April 14-24 in Dresden and Crimmitschau, Germany.

It was also announced that Dale Hawerchuk (Toronto, Ont.), head coach and director of hockey operations with the OHL’s Barrie Colts, and Mark Lamb (Cadillac, Sask.), head coach and general manager of the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos, have been named assistant coaches. Ron Tugnutt (Scarborough, Ont.), assistant coach/goalie coach with the OHL’sPeterboroughPetes, will serve as goaltending consultant.

The 2011 IIHF World Under-18 Championship will mark the first appearance for Williamson, Hawerchuk and Lamb behind the Team Canada bench. Tugnutt has served as a goaltending consultant with Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence since the beginning of the 2009-10 season.

“We are excited today to name Mike, Dale, Mark and Ron to our staff for the 2011 IIHF World Under-18 Championship,” said Brad Pascall, vice-president of hockey operations/national teams. “All four bring varying experiences from their coaching and playing days, and we’re looking forward to watching them help develop Canada’s top young players in Germany.”

“Any opportunity to work with Hockey Canada is a special one, and as a staff we look forward to getting to Germany and getting to work,” said Williamson. “We’re excited to get the team on the ice and begin working towards a third world under-18 gold medal for Canada.”

Mike Williamson, 38, has been the head coach of the Hitmen for the past two seasons, winning a WHL championship in 2009-10, his first season with the club. Prior to joining the Hitmen, Williamson spent 13 seasons in the Portland Winterhawks’ organization; seven-and-a-half seasons as head coach, two-and-a-half as an assistant coach and three seasons as a player. Williamson won a Memorial Cup with Portland as an assistant coach in 1998.

Dale Hawerchuk, 47, will join a Team Canada coaching staff for the first time, but represented Canada six times as a player. Hawerchuk won Canada Cups in 1987 and 1991, a silver medal at the 1989 IIHF World Championship, bronze medals at the 1982 and 1986 IIHF World Championships and finished seventh at the 1981 World Junior Championship. Hawerchuk, a 2001 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, just completed his first season with the Colts after spending the previous three years as owner, president, director of hockey operations and head coach with the OJHL’sOrangeville Crushers. During a 16-year NHL career with Winnipeg, Buffalo, St. Louis and Philadelphia, Hawerchuk recorded 1,409 points (518 goals, 891 assists) in 1,188 games.

Mark Lamb, 47, has been the head coach and general manager of the Swift Current Broncos for the past two seasons. Prior to joining the Broncos, Lamb was an assistant coach in the NHL for eight seasons with Edmonton (2001-02) and Dallas (2002-09). Lamb enjoyed an 11-year NHL career with Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Philadelphia and Montreal, recording 146 points (46 goals, 100 assists), and won the Stanley Cup in 1990 with the Oilers.

Ron Tugnutt, 43, is the lone member of the coaching staff with experience as a coach with Team Canada. Tugnutt served as goalie consultant for Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2010 and 2011 IIHF World Junior Championships, winning two silver medals, and was goalie consultant with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the 2009 world championship, finishing fourth. Tugnutt spent 17 seasons in the NHL and represented Canada as a player twice, at the 1993 and 1999 IIHF World Championships.

Canada’s coaching staff, along with Kevin Prendergast, Hockey Canada’s head scout of the men’s Program of Excellence, will help select Canada’s roster for the 2011 IIHF World Under-18 Championship from players whose Canadian Hockey League teams either missed the playoffs or lost in the first round.

Canada is a two-time gold medallist at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship, winning in 2003 and 2008. It finished seventh at the 2010 IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Minsk and Bobruisk, Belarus.

The 2011 IIHF World Under-18 Championship opens for Canada on April 15 in Dresden when it takes on the Czech Republic. The Canadians will also face Finland, Sweden and Norway in the preliminary round.

TSN/RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada, will broadcast Canada’s final preliminary round game against Sweden on Tuesday, April 19, as well as both semifinals on Saturday, April 23 and both medal games on Sunday, April 24. Check your local listings for game times in your area

Hockey Alberta has announced the rosters that will compete at the 2011 Alberta Cup set for April 14-17 at Lethbridge, Alberta.

Eight zone teams from across the province – South, Calgary South, Calgary North, Central, Edmonton South, Edmonton North, Northeast and Northwest - will be competing at the 2011 Alberta cup. The rosters are made up of 20 athletes, 3 coaches, 1 trainer and 1 Director of Operations from each zone.

“This tournament is a tremendous opportunity for these young men to showcase their talents. The caliber at the zone tryout camps this year was very high. We feel we have a very strong group of 1996 born athletes,” said Justin Fesyk, coordinator, Team Alberta Male Programs.

The eight zone teams will play in a four day, tournament format competition while also taking part in an education seminar put on by the Western Hockey League. All tournament games will take place at the Nicholas Sheran Arena in Lethbridge.

The Alberta Cup Program begins in March each year with over 1000 players trying out at their respective zone camps. Each of the 160 athletes playing in the Alberta Cup are competing for one of eighty invites to the U16 Male Provincial Camp in July. The U16 Male Provincial Camp is the final stage in the first year of the Team Alberta Program.

The Alberta Cup is the premier event in the province that helps identify the top male players in Alberta. It is well attended by scouts as they prepare for the Western Hockey League’s bantam draft. In addition to player evaluations, the competition is also an opportunity for administrators, coaches, trainers and officials to be evaluated for future positions with the Team Alberta Program.

The Alberta Cup began back in 1986 as a program for midget hockey players. It was held again in 1987 and 1988 then it disappeared until 1993 when it re-emerged as a bantam level competition. The Alberta Cup aids in the preparation, evaluation and identification of potential players for Hockey Alberta’s Team Alberta Program.

Hockey Alberta is pleased to announce Mike Dyck (Lethbridge, Alta) as the Head Coach and Mike Mueller (Grande Prairie, Alta) as an Assistant Coach of Team Pacific that will compete at the 2012 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

“This is a very talented age group of players and I am excited to take on this challenge with the rest of the coaching staff and get the process started,” said Dyck.

Mike Dyck has spent over 13 years coaching in the Western Hockey League. He held the title of assistant coach with the Medicine Hat Tigers (1996-97), Lethbridge Hurricanes (1997-2002), and Vancouver Giants (2002-05) before becoming the Head Coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes (2005-2009). Dyck was also the head coach of Team Pacific in 2010. Currently he is the Director of Player Personnel for the Vancouver Giants.

Mike Mueller comes to Team Pacific from the Drayton Valley Thunder of the Alberta Junior Hockey league where he is an Associate Coach and Assistant General Manager. Mueller has over five years experience with Hockey Alberta coaching at U15 Skill Camps, Alberta Cup and U17 Provincial Camp.

This year, BC Hockey is responsible for providing an assistant coach, athletic therapist and an assistant director of operations to Team Pacific. Those positions will be announced at a later date.

Team Pacific staff is selected through an open application process. Education, Team Alberta program experience and involvement, prior coaching and playing experience, and coaching philosophy make up the selection criteria.

The 2012 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge will take place in Winnipeg, Manitoba from December 26, 2010 to January 4, 2012. The event brings together the top players in the world born in 1994 or later. The tournament is made up of 10 teams: five from Canada (Pacific, West, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic) and five international teams.

Team Pacific is comprised of players from Alberta and B.C. Player evaluations for Alberta will start in May when Hockey Alberta selects 80 players to attend its U17 Provincial Evaluation Camp in Leduc.

The Under-17 Program is the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence. Many players that compete at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge go on to represent Canada with the National Men’s Under-18 Team, National Junior Team and National Men’s Team.

Hockey Alberta is pleased to announce Blair Becker (Edmonton, Alta) as the Head Coach, and Umberto Fiorillo (Edmonton, Alta) and Rick Swan (Sherwood Park, Alta) as Assistant Coaches, for Team Alberta U16 Male that will compete at the 2011 Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup in October in Saskatchewan.

“The opportunity to represent the province and work with this great coaching staff is something I am looking forward to,” said Becker. “We want to put together a group of players that have a team first mentality and strong work ethic to give us the best chance at success at the 2011 Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup.”

Becker was an assistant coach for Team Alberta U16 male in 2009 when the won gold at the inaugural Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup in Blackfalds, Alberta.

Team Alberta staff are selected through an open application process. Education, Team Alberta program experience and involvement, prior coaching and playing experience, and coaching philosophy make up the selection criteria.

The Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup occurs in the off years of the Canada Winter Games.

Hockey Alberta Life Member and former Hockey Alberta President, Murray T. Copot, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 14 at the age of 87.

"Murray was a remarkable volunteer who made many significant contributions to hockey in Alberta,” said Hockey Alberta President, Annie Orton. “He has left his footprint on Alberta’s hockey community by leaving a legacy of unconditional commitment and passion for the game.”

Copot, a World War II veteran, had been a staple in Alberta’s hockey community for over 50 years. Like many parents, he became involved with minor hockey when his son Terry began playing in the Calgary community of Briar Hill. After Copot made a late-night phone call to convince his local alderman that the city should get staff to scrape the ice during the second and third periods of minor hockey games, he received a phone call from the president of Calgary Minor Hockey.

“He said, ‘If you can do things like that, we need you to be a part of Calgary Minor Hockey’, so that’s how I got involved,” said Copot in an interview several years ago.

At first, Copot became a director of Calgary’s Tiny Mites program.

“This was enjoyable because you got to be involved with the kids,” Copot once said, who later went on to become president of Calgary Minor Hockey in 1975-76 and ’76-77. “They all tried so hard and they still do. I still have a soft spot in my heart for them.”

Copot served as President of the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association (Now Hockey Alberta) from 1986-1988. He was named a Hockey Alberta Life Member is 1992 before getting inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame in 1993.

In 1991, the old Thorncliff Arena on Centre Street in north Calgary was renamed to the Murray Copot Arena. Hockey Calgary also hosts the annual Murray Copot Tournament for either Tiny Mites or Atom-aged players each year.

“I just hope it carries on for a long time and that I’m able to help get some prizes for the kids,” said the ever-dedicated volunteer, who spent lots of his time traveling around the countryside with his wife Mary to watch their grandchildren’s numerous athletic pursuits. “They take after their grandmother.”

During his years as a volunteer, Copot had the chance to travel around Alberta, Canada and even overseas through opportunities with Hockey Alberta and Hockey Canada.

“Through hockey, I’ve met an awful lot of nice people throughout Alberta, Canada and the world,” summed up Copot in an interview in 2007. “Whatever you get involved in, you’ve got to have a passion for it.”

Hockey Alberta announced in June, 2011 that five communities in Alberta were selected to receive funding through the Every Kid Every Community grant to get more kids active in hockey.

Funds for Hockey Alberta’s Every Kid Every Community Project have been made available through the Hockey Alberta Foundation’s fundraising efforts, Government of Alberta’s Community Spirit Program Grant, and generous contributions from ATB Investor Services and Penn West Energy.

Hockey Alberta is proud to support new hockey programs for the following communities:

Boys and Girls Club of Calgary - $5000 - The Boys and Girls Club of Calgary has created a ball hockey program for their club kids to introduce them to the game. Many of them have never stepped on the ice before and are using this as introductory program. Their goal is to have this grow into an ice hockey program in future years.

Hanna MHA - $5000 - Hanna Minor Hockey Association is launching a “Let’s Skate” program which will focus on skating skills and introductory hockey skills. This program will target kids in grades one to six and will be promoted in the local schools.

Bow Island MHA - $4000 - Bow Island Minor Hockey Association will be holding a four day “Hockey Fun Dayz” program in October, 2011. It will target kids ages five – twelve who are not currently playing hockey.

Lamont MHA - $3000 - Lamont Minor Hockey Association will be holding a Sunday Shinny program between October 2011 – March 2012 to introduce new kids to hockey. They have teamed up with their local Canskate program and have reached out to the town’s hockey players to act as mentors to the new kids stepping on the ice.

LethbridgeMHA - $3000 - This fall, Lethbridge Minor Hockey Association will be running an “Intro to Hockey” program for kids ages three – ten. They will partner with the Boys and Girls Club, Elementary Schools, the Lethbridge Sport Council and Lethbridge Hurricanes to recruit kids for this program.

Hockey Alberta’s first Every Kid Every Community Grant Cycle:

Hockey Alberta announced in January, 2011 that six Alberta communities were selected to receive funding through its Every Kid Every CommunityProject to get more children involved in hockey. A total of $20,000 is getting awarded through this year’s funding.

"Our goal is to empower and challenge communities across the province to identify their local needs and come up with a creative way to engage their youth in hockey," said Hockey Alberta’s Senior Manager of Business Development, Scott Robinson. "Each community proposed to us how much money they would need to facilitate their program. We were very pleased with the responses and we look forward to watching these programs come to life."

Hockey Alberta also put on a Hockey Jamboree in Edmonton for the West Boys and Girls Club and E4C as a kick off to their projects!

The Every Kid Every CommunityProject was created as a funding based program through Hockey Alberta as a way of getting more kids active in hockey. The percentage of Alberta’s population ages 5-19 that are registered in hockey is 9.6%. This is the third lowest percentage per capita in Canada. Hockey is a great way for kids to be active, healthy, and be surrounded by positive leaders in their community. Hockey Alberta recognizes that the existing minor hockey system doesn’t accommodate the needs of all communities and this program offers an opportunity for groups to create innovative ways to get more kids involved.

WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING

E4C Edmonton has created a "Hockey for Kids" project to introduce hockey to kids in Edmonton inner city neighborhoods. They are targeting 40 kids ages 5-12 for this project. $5000 was awarded for this project.

The West Boys and Girls Club of Edmonton has created a shinny hockey program for club kids ages 4-17. This program will align with their existing "Cool Moves" program, promoting healthy and active living. $4500 was awarded for this project.

The community of Frog Lake has created an opportunity for their local kids to get involved in hockey and take advantage of their brand new facility. $4500 was awarded for this project

Mundare Minor Hockey Association has created a "Learn to Skate + Introduction to Hockey" program which is targeting kids of all ages who would like to play hockey but don’t have the basic skating skills. $3000 was awarded for this project.

Vegreville Minor Hockey Association has created a "Girls Try Hockey" program to encourage new girls ages 11-16 to get active in the game. $1800 was awarded for this project.

The Village of Acme has created a supervised shinny hockey program which will target youth in the community and operate once a week. They will promote this new program at their annual sports day. $1200 was awarded for this project.

"In the inner city, there are many families who cannot afford to register their kids in minor hockey or other organized sports, so the big goal of this program for us is to make organized hockey accessible to every kid who wants to play while providing them with a positive, healthy experience," said David Prodan, program manager, E4C. "Focusing on long term sustainability, we will utilize the grant to develop partnerships with other agencies and community volunteers to make this a program which can go on for years to come."

"This grant will provide the opportunity for girls to try hockey in Vegreville in a fun, non competitive environment," said Greg Senko, Vegreville Minor Hockey. "If successful, a girl’s hockey program will be started allowing current players to remain in the community and giving new players the opportunity to enjoy the game of hockey."

Funds for Hockey Alberta’s Every Kid Every Community Project have been made available through the Hockey Alberta Foundation’s fundraising efforts. In the first grant cycle Hockey Alberta accepted grant applications between September 1 and December 1, 2010 based on the established criteria for projects.

Courtesy of WHL - Last Saturday night, Team Alberta alumnus, Matt Fraser, who now wears #11 for the Kootenay ICE, was presented with a uniquely designed Starlite collage recognizing his outstanding efforts and leadership in raising $19,381.65 for East Kootenay Foundation for Health’s in the 2009 and 2010 annual Starlite campaigns. The presentation was made on ice by EKFH Executive Director Donna Grainger, Chair Linda Berukoff and ICE GM Jeff Chynoweth.

In 2009, the likeable left-winger encouraged fellow teammates, ICE fans and others to aim for raising $5,000 to go toward the purchase of a $54,000 cancer node biopsy probe for the East Kootenay Regional Hospital. When the dust settled the ICE fans, friends and families, the community and many others got behind Matt’s dream donating over $14,100 in gifts dedicated to the project and the lighting of 2 stars. Even bigger news was yet to follow when Matt was presented with the prestigious 2009 WHL Humanitarian Award and the Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy for his work with the Starlite Campaign for Excellence in Health Care.

This year, the task was to aim for lighting one star with donations allocated to seniors recreational programs offered at various Interior Health facilities. During the November launch, star #4, the Matt Fraser Kootenay ICE star, was lit thanks to the $5,269 in gifts donated by generous Fraser fans.

“As part of the work we do here at EKFH, we try to encourage individuals and organizations to leave a legacy. There is no doubt in my mind that what started out as an idea to perhaps donate a wheelchair grew into a fabulous legacy of a compassionate individual. Not only did Matt encourage others to give and raise substantial funds for two great causes, he inspired a new generation of activities involving donors of all ages that our foundation had never witnessed before. It has been an absolute honour and pleasure to be associated with Matt and the Kootenay ICE organization,” shares Grainger.

At the completion of his Junior A hockey career, 20-year old Red Deer native Matt Fraser will return home but he can rest assured that he has left an indelible mark on health care here in Cranbrook and the East